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What are Antioxidants and Why Should the Prepper Care?

Avatar for Gaye Levy Gaye Levy  |  Updated: December 16, 2020
What are Antioxidants and Why Should the Prepper Care?

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veggiesBuddha (c. 563 BC to 483 BC) is credited with saying:

“To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”

Now it seems to me that if the world were to drastically change in a TEOTWAWKI situation, having a strong and clear mind would be paramount to survival.  And yet, as we plan for such an event, how much of our effort is spent on the matter of good health in the here and now?  Not as much as we could and should I say.

The reasons are simpler than you might think.  It is just easy to continue to do things the way we always have and to forget just how far healthy eating today can go in an uncertain future.   Some chips with our burger, a nice piece of pie for desert, and oh yeah, what about the can of soda to wash it down?

I have always been interested in diet and nutrition, most likely because I was an overweight child and have struggled to maintain trim my entire life.  For the most part I have won the battle but now I also face the dreaded prospect of aging, and am acutely aware that what goes in can materially affect both how I look and how I feel as I get older.Universe in a magic Drop

Just What are Antioxidants?

For years, the mention of the term “antioxidants” sent me running.  Perhaps it was the “anti” which denoted a negative connotation or perhaps it was simply confusion since the term was applied not only to food products and plants but to skin care, cosmetics and industrial chemicals as well.

I finally came around, however, and jumped on the knowledge bandwagon a few years back, recognizing that antioxidants were a good thing.  But why?  And what the heck are they, anyway.

According to Wikipedia:

An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When the chain reaction occurs in a cell, it can cause damage or death to the cell. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions.

In plainer English, antioxidants are dietary substances can prevent damage to your body cells or repair damage that has already been done.  They work by slowing down or even preventing damage to the cells from the bod-boy free radicals that are created by oxidation.

Using an example provided by the Academy of Dietetics and Nutrition (formerly the American Dietetic Association), let me describe what happens to an apple when you cut in to it.  Slice the apple, expose it to air (oxygen) and it turns brown.  But, and this is the key, dip it in some orange juice or lemon juice which contains the antioxidant Vitamin C, and the apple stays apple-colored, or white.

Examples, Please

Several of the top antioxidants include:

  • Beta-carotene: This antioxidant is believed to be helpful in helping prevent heart disease and cancer. Beta-Carotene is found in bright green, orange and yellow produce, including carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, apricots, cantaloupe, mango, papaya, red bell pepper, spinach, kale, turnip greens and broccoli.
  • Vitamin C: It helps protect and fight against infections, promotes the absorption of iron and helps produce thyroxin (a hormone that regulates metabolism and body temperature). Look for Vitamin C in guava, papaya, red and green peppers, kiwi, orange and grapefruit juice, broccoli, cantaloupe, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, strawberries, mustard and turnip greens.
  • Vitamin E: This protects the white blood cells, which helps keep the immune system in top shape. Vitamin E is found mostly in vegetable oils. Look for it in corn oil, olive oil, peanut oil, sesame seed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, almonds, wheat germ, nuts, seeds, and olives.
  • Selenium:  Selenium is incorporated into proteins to make selenoproteins, which are important antioxidant enzymes. According to the National Institutes of Health, the antioxidant properties of selenoproteins help prevent cellular damage from free radicals.  Good sources of selenium include brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, chicken and turkey breast meat, eggs, and brown rice.

Enter in to the World of Plants

Vegetarian_dietThe good news is that the plant world contains thousands of types of antioxidants and that when these plants are consumed, these defensive antioxidant plant molecules are passed on to the people who eat them.  This means that lucky for us, antioxidants are easy to include in our diets.

Brightly colored fruits and veggies are the stars in this arena, with fruits taking the lead.  Berries of all types head the list along with plums and cherries.  Then come the green and red vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, red cabbage and green peppers.  But honestly, there is no bad fruit and no bad vegetable when it comes to antioxidants.  The only thing bad is the person who refuses to eat them.

Of course, it is well and good to eat fruits and vegetables but it is equally important to make sure that they are prepared correctly.  No boiled or microwaved mish-mash please.  To retain the most value, veggies should be lightly steamed or stir-fried.

More Sources of Antioxidants

In addition to fruits and veggies, herbs and spices (try cinnamon, turmeric, cloves and oregano) and nuts and seeds with skins are antioxidant all stars.

Lets talk about the herbs and spices a moment.  According to Los Angeles-based dietitian Vandana Sheth, RD, CDE, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“Most people think of antioxidants as coming strictly from foods like fruits and vegetables, dark chocolate, or red wine, but many herbs and spices not only provide flavor but also a big bang of antioxidants. A little bit goes a long way.”

So, for example, a single 1/2 teaspoon of ground clove contains more antioxidants than 1/2 cup of blueberries and a teaspoon of oregano contains as many antioxidants as an entire cup of sweet potatoes.  Certainly this is something to think about as we store spices and condiments for long term storage.

But there are other big winners in the antioxidant camp.  Red wine, chocolate and yes, coffee and espresso.

SurvivalWoman drinks red wine

According to the Mayo Clinic, the antioxidants in red wine are called polyphenols and these polyphenols may help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. Although they are careful to use the word “may”, the Mayo Clinic as well as other credible authorities claim that resveratrol is the key ingredient in red wine that helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduces “bad” cholesterol and prevents blood clots.

When it comes to chocolate, dark chocolate is the celebrity when it comes to antioxidants.  Dark chocolate is loaded with flavonoids, a type of antioxidant that has been shown in medical studies to offer protection to the vascular system, heart and brain.  Of course there is the waistline to consider, but a tiny piece of dark chocolate is probably going to do you more good than harm.  For more information on the value of chocolate in your diet, check out the article Heart-Health Benefits of Chocolate Unveiled which was written by the well-respected Cleveland. Clinic.

And finally, there is coffee.  Going back once again to the Mayo Clinic, here is what they say:

A “cup of joe” has up to 2,000 different components, including micronutrients such as magnesium, potassium, niacin and vitamin E. Among coffee drinkers, coffee may be the largest food source of antioxidants — substances that protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals.

What about Organic Fruits and Vegetables

No one will dispute the fact that pesticides can cause health problems, such as birth defects, nerve damage, cancer, and other effects that might occur over a long period of time.  However, these effects depend on how toxic the pesticide is and how much of it is consumed.  This is especially true when it comes to children.

Connecting the dots with the oxidation process and the development of free radicals, it makes sense that in addition to providing antioxidant benefits, consuming organic fruits and vegetables may further foster long term good health by diminishing the effects of pesticide residue.

Now I know that in many areas, including my own, the cost of organic food products may be more than double the non-organic items.  There are three choices left:  grow your own, be selective and choose only non-organic items that are least likely to harbor pesticide residues, or a combination of the two.

The produce types least likely to be toxic are those items with thick skins such as onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, mango, asparagus, peas, kiwi fruit, bananas, papaya, broccoli and cabbage.  Produce with thin (or non-existent) skin is most likely to be contaminated with pesticide residues.

On the other hand, there is a strong likelihood that peaches, apples, celery, berries, lettuces, spinach and potatoes will be contaminated with pesticide residue.  If you can not afford organic, be sure to wash these items well before consuming.  We actually scrub our potatoes with soap and water!

The Antioxidant Grocery List

I make no apologies for admitting that I enjoy the antics of Dr. Oz.  A lot of what he does is wrapped around a bubble of hype and entertainment (think reality show) but his show also includes a lot of useful information, most of which is credible and well documented.

A while back he published the following Antioxidant Grocery list which can also be printed out and used as a shopping list.

The Final Word

Where as beans, bullets and band-aids are the mantra of the prepper community, so is good health.  After all, you can have a three year food supply and a lifetime stash of ammunition, but if you are too feeble to eat and too weak to defend yourself, all of those great preps will go to waste.

It is far better to plan for a healthy body along with the rest of your preparedness tasks.  Focus on eating more of a plant based diet with the emphasis on brightly colored produce.  And don’t forget about that nightly glass of rid wine.  And by the way, how about a small handful of almonds with that  wine?

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!

Gaye

From the Bargain Bin:  A sound and healthy body is something I plan to keep for as long as I can.  Need some help?  Here are some ideas to get you on the road to health.

500 MG Resveratrol Extreme Capsules: In addition to red wine, this is another way to get some of the great resveratrol into your system. I like this brand because it comes with a 3 month money back guarantee. 68 reviewers give it close to a perfect 5 star rating.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Mediterranean Diet:  Survival Husband’s doc recommends a Mediterranean Diet rich in brilliant colored veggies.  Now truth be told, I am a lot better with the veggies than he is and sometimes go weeks eating just veggies, fruits and dairy.  YMMV, but this book will be a good start.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition:  If you are thinking about migrating to a plant based diet, this book will answer the questions:

  • Where to get nutrients that others get from meat and dairy.
  • How to avoid the vegan pitfall of overfed but undernourished.
  • How to spot hidden animal ingredients in packaged foods.

The Antioxidant Counter: A Pocket Guide:  This little book is presents easy-to-understand antioxidant scores for hundreds of foods. It’s specially designed to show which nutrition-loaded foods offer the greatest healing power and how to include more of them in your diet.

Spiegelau Vino Grande Bordeaux Glasses:  Yes, a bit of a splurge but these are wine glasses that I use.  I have had them for almost 8 years now, and still love drinking from them.  They make drinking budget wines (think Charles Shaw and such) festive and special.

Screwpull Corkscrew: For heavens sake, if you are storing red wine for SHTF drinking or bartering, be sure to also pack away a manual corkscrew.  This is a nice one.

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8 Responses to “What are Antioxidants and Why Should the Prepper Care?”

  1. when i have to stop taking up to 14 medications a day for what ails me, and the doctor starts actually helping me, im not going to worry about what others think of me or my body. i begged my doctor since 2004 for help with a diet and exercise program to help me lose weight, after my spine snapped in half and became paralyzed from the waist down. to this day they have done nothing, nothing! i finally got a chair i can sit on with my disability and exercise in 2014, but between then and now i gained 40lbs!

  2. AMAZING NO ONE EVER TALKS ABOUT CHLORELLA. ITS A SEAWEED TABLET TAKEN BY 75% OF THE JAPANESE WHO HAVE ONE OF THE WORLDS LONGEST LIFE SPANS. IT HAS EVERY VITAMINE IN THE BOOK ITS A POWERFUL DETOX AND ANTI CANCER ALGAE IT CLEANS THE COLON PUMPS THE BLOOD FULL OF OXYGEN HAS MORE PLANT PROTEIN THAN BEEF PER GRAM OXYGENATES THE LUNGS HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST FORMS OF CHLOROPHIL IN ANY PLANT. AND BEST OF ALL ITS CHEAP. PLEASE CHECK IT OUT AND FOLLOW THE LINK

    //www.telegraph.co.uk/health/wellbeing/6028408/Chlorella-the-superfood-that-helps-fight-disease.html

  3. The list that William linked and yours are good, and interesting. I do have a couple of comments. The sumac is scary and I will need to research it more now, as “poisonous sumac” is scary and I haven’t got it properly identified for myself.

    Also, turmeric reaches it’s most useful levels after being sauteed in fat. Palm nut oil, from Tropical Traditions, is awesomely high in beta-carotene and vit. e and it stores for a long, long time.

    Straight up cinnamon has some deleterious compounds in it’s straight up form. For daily use, as a diabetic aid, a modified form is available.

    Amla fruit, which I didn’t see in either list, contains a type of vit. c in a form that doesn’t break down with heat such as when cooking. This is what I understand from what I read. It comes in a powdered form as well.

    Considering the level of toxicity in our environment, it might not be easy, but, as I understand it, it is possible to have too much/many anti-oxidants in our diet. I don’t know the level, but I believe I learned this from Dr. Mercola.

    This is a good and relevant article. I’m just adding my 2 bits.

    • Thank you for sharing what you know. Especially interesting about the turmeric in palm nut oil. Personally, I do not care for the taste of turmeric but we all do what we need to do. I would much rather intake these important herbs and spices in their natural form than swallowing a processed “pill” or supplement.

  4. Thanks for providing everyone with an excellent introduction to this important subject! Anti-oxidants are an extremely valuable addition to any prepper’s inventory, and are even more important during times of exertion and stress– or when exposed to radiation. Their relative potency is ranked according to their oxygen radical absorptive capacity (or ORAC for short). The rankings can be viewed at this link (//www.oracvalues.com/sort/orac-value). As you will see from the chart, the most potent of all is sumac bran. This is the common red (NOT the white) sumac which can be seen growing wild practically everywhere. A tea made from steeping the heads of red sumac is likely the most potent antioxidant that money can’t buy–and tastes good too! Following sumac are many of the common spices which you mentioned. Rosemary is fifth on the list. It’s extract has been found to be helpful for those undergoing radiation treatments. The various antioxidants do seem to target different areas of the body, so is is helpful to take as many different ones as you can. For instance, add cinnamon (ranked 7th on the list) to your coffee every chance you get and do yourself a world of good! My understanding regarding resveratrol is that it is metabolized out quite rapidly by the body, and thus it is more helpful to take a smaller dosage say twice a day than it is to take a huge amount once a day.

    William

    • Thank you so much for providing this additional information to me and my readers. I think there is a lot of confusion in that the “anti” in antioxidant sounds negative and the “free” in free radicals sounds positive. I am still learning a lot myself and want to come up with additional ways to insure that antioxidants are included as part of my iong term storage strategy.

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